The Dillon tribune., 1887-04-01
THE EBEAvERHEAD
Rough Experience Of n Montana Dctectise
Why X. Beidler Didn't Get the
Reward.

", was JurO1SneO tnc DOLeHus" ~O"'' -
lin Ponsiord, who is compiling ren'n's'
cenccs OF ,te somewhat noted \. Inc
article was originally published !" the In
defe~de~f in JAM, 1875.
| Immediately after the robbi"Y Of the
Overland stage by McLain and Heinze'
man, now serving in the penitent'asy Tor
their crime, a couple Of detectives we're
sent from, California to ferret out the rob
| bers and recover the treasure. They made
one OF the stations al the Beavcrhead Can.
yon their headquarters, and hung around
until their presence became irkso'ne.
After cogi,ating awhile, the psoprie'ors Of
the station resoivad to have a i,t'lr i"n Al
their expense, so they agreed !" nail up an
old Ak box, bind it with iron bands. throw
4, into the river above the station, and then
get the keen California detectives on the.
trait. Before they could execute their dc.
signs, however, the Californians got aboard
the coach and went down the road. 4
day or two after they left, ~" Eeidle,
came up thtsroad. lie also was employed
BY Wells. Fargo s. Co, to hunt down the
robbers. X. stopped Ut the station vacated
BY the Caiifornians. He invariably had a
nc~ joke, or "a good story for the boys"
so he vas heartily welcomed by every body
around the station. After amusing tie
men congregated in the bar.room 10, a
couple Of hours, X. called one Of the keep.
ers OF the station aside, and asked him his
opinion oi the robbery, what his theory
abou, i, was, etc. After deep reflection,
the gentleman told him the stage driver
"a,ered his horses in the CANYON, about
four miles above the station, and that ii he
{thc driver) had stolen the treasure. box,
the chances we're that he threw i; into
the river AT that point. as there was deep
hole couple Of Yards below where the
horses were watereG; nobody, as vet had
thought Of examining the river, and il X.
wanted 10 go, he would lend him a horse
in the morning. OF course X. would Z,
he was after that treasure box, and he in.
tended to let no chance slip ~hereby he
might recover it. There was $4,000 in
the box when II was stolen from the coach.
and whoever recovered the box and treas.
ure was entitled to- one fourth 5000.
That evening the two station. keepers car.
ried the old AK box up the canyon, fillcd j,
With bouldcrs, nailed iron bands around it,
threw it into the deep hole in the river
broke a trail through the willows. and piled
few rocks on top Of eac, other, on the
bank, directly above the box, and then
went home and slept the sleepof men who
feel that they have somebody else in deep
water.
In the morning N saddied his horse and
started NJ the canyon, and a couple Of the
station men also started up the road 10 fix
some broken fences. Y. arrived at the
.po. to which he was directed, and tied his
horse to tree. Many a time had X.
hunted for dim trail ere this. He was no
pilgrim In such matters. Tie walked along
the edge Of the willows, his keen gray
. es watching tor the faintest sign OF a trai
"a broken thing, to guide the
practiced rail.huntcr. Suddenly he oh
served some bent willows. He knelt
down, raised the fallen grass, and there
i'nbcdded In the soft earth, we're the loot.
prints Of man. Never did SIOUX war.
rior gaze more exul,an,ly on the trail OF
his enemy, when he though, the victim
va" almost within his grasp, than did X.
when he viewed those fool. prints which
were 10 lead him to fortune. lie followed
the trail through the willows and ou, On
bank Of the river. There he found a small
pile Of rocks. That means something.
I 'ught he. So he walked up to the little.
'onn'nent, and carefully removed the
ocks one by one. bu. found nothing.
Then he gazed into the clear waters Of the
Beaverhcad, and lying at the bottom Of
the river, bound with iron straps, he saw
thr treasure box. y. looked at the box
!. almost took his breath away; 5000 re-.
ward; beat all the California sharps; fame
and fortune within his grasp. 1t was al.
most too much. and \. sat down and vain.
" tried to remember what particularly
good deed he had done for which this v as
reward. To be sure he had said his
prayers, but the last time he remembered
~as ~he" he was five years old. But
then, he had attended church. Yes, bu, !,
was whe" accompanying an old partners
funeral. and he wondered II that would
count Finally, he arose and started after
help to &C: the box out OF the river. In .
few minutes he returned with one of the
static" keepers and an employee. He az